Sandy Merson is Director of Operations & Maintenance, based normally in Aberdeen. A trained mechanical engineer, he has worked in Romania, Mexico and early in his career as Offshore Shift Team Leader on the Kittiwake Alpha rig in the North Sea.

“As a father of two young children (3 and 1) and a wife who works full time too, the understanding and flexible work environment here at Petrofac has been hugely helpful – especially during Covid, taking time off in the middle of a busy day to take my son for a PCR test, that sort of thing.

“This is inclusivity in practice, not as a theory. Making sure people have the right work-life balance that works for them at different stages of their life and career is very important.  

“There’s no cookie-cutter standard for different roles here now, we have people with wide and varied experience, people who think differently and are valued for the diverse experience and outlook they bring.

“A lot of Inclusion is simply about listening – and breaking bread with people. I’m in Dubai at the moment to meet more people, face to face. To understand and get to know them as people, hear their back stories – all the stuff we used to get in and around meetings.

“Over Teams, people are reduced to dots on a screen. There’s limited opportunity to just ask ‘how are you? How was your weekend?’ We all miss that. It helps build relationships, and that’s really what’s at the heart of inclusion.”

Hear from colleagues about their experience